Prime Conditions Have Arrrived

Finally the BT is coming into fine fishing shape. The melt is almost over. Water temps are getting near the prime-floor-temps of the 55 degree mark. Bugs are hatching and some trout are eating on top. But for consistent success nymphing remains the most assured tactic of success.

Right now I personally focus on the stretch from the Boca inflow to the Donner Creek spill-in. This area requires less combat-wading. Unlike like the da Sheriff of da Canyon * whose turf...Hirschdale to the CA-NV stateline, is big water (...and admittedly a chance of larger trout), my clients have not netted a 5 pounder yet.

*www.gilliganguidservice.com

One such trophy was on for an extended, 3-4 minutes struggle last Tuesday, June 22nd.
It ate a #16 Rubber-Legged, Flash-Backed Hare's Ear It rushed downstream, pocket to pocket and finally into a large pool. I'm saying "Great...now we can net it!", thinking it was ready for the net...it simply uncorked.

March Browns, BWO's, Green Drakes & Yellow Stone adults are being observed mid-day. The take has been wild RainBows to 17-1/2" and Browns to 20" and the real native Mountain WhiteFish to 19".

The LT , below Stampede Dam, was lowered to 30 cfs today!!...geez. At 40cfs for the last 3 weeks we've been sight-fishing. Casting to RB's & Browns to 20"; most in the 15"-18" range with the rarer 12"-13" RB. It has been mostly dry/dropper fishing. The producing dries are #10 Green Drake Emergers, #12 ParaChute Black Flying Ants, #16 PMD Cripples and #18-20 CDC,Grey, Biot ComParaDuns. These flows, IMO, are really too low & may be detrimental to the fishery's health. Most especially de-watering the "nursery", side channels, which is where the newly hatched minnows reside.

Gary Amendola from Ohio even managed to land & release a flying trout...

and his fishing partner, Phil Murphy managed a beautiful Brown

The small creeks will remain in ideal conditions for the next couple of weeks.

These small running waters host beautifully-colored Brookie & RainBow in the 6"-10" range. A 12 incher is considered a "hog." An ideal rod for these little jewels is a 2 or 3 weight rod. I'm still a small creek junkie and will visit them whenever the opportunity is there...such as now!

One last comment...Now is an opportune time to visit lake inlets. Over the years we've had encounteres with some out-sized trout. Most of the time we probe the deeper water column; stripping streamers and occasionally wind-drift sub-surface fare under an indicator. If one is lucky an angler can also encounter a very decent surface rise to both Damsels and Callibaetis

Cyber Flash!! #2

...a belated Flash!

The second leg of the fabled Big Bugs of June has landed...made an apppearance. While guiding on Monday, June 21, I personally saw three (3), adult Green Drakes on the Little Truckee from 12-12:10 PM. I also received a report...and you know it is from a reliable source otherwise I do not use it...of four (4) adults viewed in pocket-water along the lower reaches of Glenshire Drive; also at noon. Neither sightings resulted in observed rise activity; which should change soon.

The melt & run-off has decreased and near its end. Finally the BT is fishable with trout that have thus far not been seriously harassesd. Now we'll experience a prolonged season with plenty of water and lot of bugs.

Remember, the sequence of hatch activity is sequenially consistent; when the sequence STARTS is subject to the previous winter's snow-pack & water content the corresponding run-off. Jeff Brown, the manager of the Sagehen Creek UC Research Facility, informed me that at his location they have recorded 146% of BOTH snow-pack and water content.With that in mind, IMO, everything, conservatively, is at least 3-4 weeks behind...if not more.

Now I await reports or personal viewing of the third Big Bugs of June; the Golden Stonefly.

Cyber Flash!! #1

I saw all of four (4) Black Flying Ants yesterday; my sigthing of this season's first Big Bug of June. A #12 SawMill Black Ant produced several Rainbows in the 17" to 19-3/4" range at the Bluff Slick on LT

E-Quicky Report...#1

Finally, we're experiencing some warm weather; with the exception of this morning's greyish-overcast sky & drizzle and gusty winds with clearing skies this afternoon. Because of the unpredictable weather during the last two weeks, I canceled 5 guide days and rescheduled two.

No...I haven't seen the infamous, first Big Bugs of June, the Flying, Black Ant...yet

Here is a report I gave to an inquiring client today:

"The main Truckee is in the mist of run-off, high & discolored. Heavy nymphing with lots of lead and streamers using sink-tips are your best tactics. Behind town it is peaking at 700 cfs and troughing at 500cfs, but, IMO, still too high and possibly very treacherous wading. Looking at the flow charts I'm deducting that the melt is waning, although there is still lots of snow on the high peaks & north slopes.

The LT is very low for this time of year; 41 cfs. The fish are spooky. We're in-between hatches, so there are few consistent risers. If you observe a steady riser, my bet is that they're eating midge emergers. Mid-day you may fool a trout using terresterials, such as ants and beetles; with BH droppers. Be aware...mosquitos have made an appearance!...especially in the shade and at dusk.

The smaller running waters are very near perfect and exploring their lake-inflows are a good ploy...as soon as they clear.

In two-three weeks everything should explode!"

Lest We Forget.....

"Please, let's remember what Memorial Day is all about. Briefly, think about those who are no longer with us. An ultimate sacrifice was made, their lives...for the freedoms we now enjoy & at times take for granted. It is also an opportunity to thank those who have served this country & lost a friend or two."

excerpt from the May 24, 2002 Truckee Fly Angling Update

Tweener Time...Angling Report

Well, I decided to stay in today. I received 4" of wet snow at my place last evening and more is expected today! It still remains "tweener-time", most especially on the LT...so I thought!

I received a couple of glowing reports from da Wood-Splitter's Dad of a nice rise and BWO emergence on the LT. That really piqued my interest. So on Tuesday I had to commit to an exploratory venture to the LT. The weather had been...as it currently continues to be...cold, over-cast, rain, sleet, snow & gusty.

I got there late, 3PM. There was a party of four leaving. I spoke with one of the fly-anglers, da owner of the Reno Fly Shop. He informed me that...yes indeed...there was a rise and some trout were eating BWO's. ...earlier. Oh well, I decided to wet a line anyway.

I had a rewarding session. During my 3-6 PM session I hooked 6 and landed 6. I was elated having previously experienced three, blank "scouting" sessions on the BT and LT and last year I had a depressing 8 hook-up/ZERO land session.

There were no bugs and no surface-feeders; tactically I decided on "fishing the water" with a #14 Little, Dark Flesh Juan trailing a #20 Olive Sparkle Pupa under my new "clown" indicator and three (3) # 6 split-shot. Five of the six netted were RB's with the smallest being 17" and the largest 18-1/2". The biggest was a tapped a 19-1/4" Brown male. There was no discernible preference of flies eaten, each fooled three. The Brown ate the # 20 fly; I was envisioning a "20-20" during the ensuing struggle. What was really surprising, and it reinforces my practice of "off-setting" flies that are #20 and smaller, the #20 was embedded in the kip of the brown's lower lip.

Please continue to transmit you wishes to the sun-gods. and the talisman of moving waters.

Deja Vu

I don't know about you, but I'm anxiously anticipating some top-water activity here in the Truckee area. More specifically, CONSISTENT and PREDICTABLE emergences of bugs...and big bulges, splashes, heads and snouts eating them. also ideally consistent in lieu of sporadic.

I love to quote myself...I was reading the last on-line post (June 28, 2004) of my defunct TRUCKEE FLY ANGLING UPDATE :

"We've experienced typical late spring Sierra-Nevada weather; light rains, occasional greyish skies, late-afternoon thunder & lighting & even snow on the morning of June 7th. Now we expect a summer mode; warm sun , clear and/or billowy-clouded skies, late afternoon, blustery winds & possible thundershowers.The springtime high flows on the rivers & full pool on the stillwaters is waning. The water temperatures are warmer; triggering lots of bug emergences.

The uneducated trout of early season are a bit more sophisticated now that they may have been stung a time or two. Nevertheless, we'll not be burdened with "loading & lobbing" lots of lead on moving waters & deep-lining streamers in the lakes.

It is now dry fly time for those of us who like to switch to more delicate pursuits. Decent fish can now be induced to eat your fly on or in the surface film. The caveat is you must be on the water at the right place & time with the correct fly pattern & presentation...nothing new here."

Some of the above conditions actually apply now...sort of...or will occur in 2-3 weeks. Nevertheless, what is expressed can mirror some of my current fly fishing sentiments (remember my Mood" series of last year?)...even though it was written 6 years ago.